Dance
by charl0ttem
Summary: a serial killer is on the loose and he has a type. Dancers. Time is running out and as the body count grows can the BAU find the killer?
1. Chapter 1

_**hello, welcome! I will keep this brief because you probably want to skim through the first chapter to se if you lik the look of this story (yes i'm talking to you).however this is my first story so if you could give me some feedback that would be fantastic and great! Either way I hope you enjoy.**_

 _ **disclaimer: I don't not own criminal minds or any of the charecters**_

 **Dance**

Suffocating darkness halted my breathing. Ice cold metal pressed hard on flesh, sitting up, hazy vision slowly restored the dingy lifeless room. The loud silence was an assurance no one was around. Stepping off what seems to be an operating table red flashes alert me to the raw pain the thousands of millions of pieces of glass in my skin give me, my screams violently ricochet off the walls. G _et yourself together now_. There was no time to piece together, a pounding headache prohibited any previous thoughts or memories of what happened. _Whatever this is you need to get out_. It smelled dank, mouldy, dirty the sort of damp that you could taste on your tongue and that sent a shiver through your spine _. A door get out you need to find the door and get out._

Eyes latched onto a circle free of glass, pink pointe shoes sat in the centre… her pointe shoes. To the left of the pastel pink shoes 'RUN' was jaggedly etched in sticky, dark red blood.

Agent Jarreau stared headlong at the papers that littered her desk. Every week hundreds of cases passed over her table each week it was her job to decide which ones the BAU would undertake, one mistake and innocent lives would be lost although Jennifer truly loved her job she often daydreamed about a meaningless job however that did not seem anywhere within near reach at this time.

The familiar determined stride of her boss could be heard clearly as he passed by her office. "Hotch, could you take a look at this?" handing over the case file, she watched patiently as the unit chief skimmed through her notes and the accompanying reports. Easily, she read his facial expressions even though it didn't take a profiler to know that he was in deep contemplation of this potentially fatal decision. "You see the injuries all four victims sustained vary but not so much that it would be impossible to be the same killer. But on the other hand there is no clear MO in the victims all of them are completely diff…"

"Yes" he said with unwavering certainty that made him near impossible to question.

"What? Wait we're going?" the agent was jolted into a frenzy as though someone had suddenly pressed play on her actions.

"Yes contact the team and DC tell them to prep a room for us. Wheels up in an hour." As Hotch strode out of the room agent Jarreau collected her papers, phone and go bag and rushed out of her office mentally preparing herself for exactly what her job required of her. Becoming a criminal mind.


	2. Chapter 2

**Longer chapter this time. I'd love to hear some of your feed back, enjoy!**

The team sat and listened intently as agent Jarreau, or JJ as she was better known, ran through the horrific details of each of the four murders. All four victims were women in their early twenties, continuing on, she could see the melancholy sadness that always hung over the BAU team whenever the victims involved had seemed to have just started the best part of their lives. Emily Call, Daniella Walker, April Jones and Janet Smith had all been taken five days before their deaths and had been found in such terrible states that Janet's best friend was unable to identify her. Emily Prentiss sighed breaking the stone cold silence that filled the luxury jet, "right let's get to it." she said turning to the unit chief prompting him to deliver their orders. "Prentiss, Morgan go to the dump site of the latest victim. Reid, JJ set up at the DC office you know what to do; me and Rossi will be interviewing Bethany Green, Janet Smith's flatmate.". Agent Hotch glanced round his team seeing nods of approval, although he was unit chief the knowledge that his team supported and approved of his decision did an awful lot to help steady his wavering nerve.

The jet descended. The six agents wore solemn yet determined expressions that masked the empathy and anger that coursed through each of their veins, in a silent promise to the four girls that their deaths would be avenged.

* * *

Satin soft shoes caressed slashed raw feet. The agony was nearly unbearable however the blood written warning compelled her to escape. _Hurry, god knows what is coming put the shoes on. Go!_ So she did. As fast as her injured feet would carry her. One door, _faster._ Next door, _FASTER!_ Room number three offered: three heavy metal doors, clones of the previous doors; two stair cases, one leading up and the other lead downwards into and ebony abyss and one window haphazardly boarded up with nails only half hammered in and rusty with age. _The window, it must be a way out windows lead outside. It must be a way out._ Hitting, pulling, trying to smash the wood, the aged boards snuck splinters into her palms but fingers frenzied with adrenaline felt no pain. The first board groaned then broke away. An almighty storm of dust was released, it smelt like dirt and tasted even more dire. Inching ever closer to success she took the first board between her hands; holding it just like daddy taught her, left hand at the top and the right hand just below, feet spread apart she swung. Sections of wood came apart bit by bit as the ballerina desperately swung and swung.

* * *

He watched. Watched the way she stood; the way she moved; the way she had hope, hope of survival. He would enjoy seeing her loose that hope, seeing it slowly abandon her like all the others. Sometimes it left quickly, he remembered April it was like she didn't even care about what happened, he suspected she had been broken long ago, she was no fun. Others like Daniella had been more fun, Daniella she was so young she had been his toughest to break, she had challenged him and although it was a lot of effort when she finally broke he had never felt such ecstasy. He smiled, Evita was a fighter, he was in heavy anticipation as to what would make her break. But for now he had to go, he had a very important audience who would be viewing his performance… and three extra special ladies who would be starring.

* * *

Knock, knock, knock. Agents Hotchner and Rossi removed their sunglasses; the bright autumn day seemed unable to make its mind up, with single figure temperatures freezing their fingers but the dazzling sun was so bright it demanded sunglasses. Bethany Green and Janet Smith inhabited a bottom floor apartment in downtown DC, from the outside the red brick block of flats looked tidy and spacious. The large white door opened to reveal a petite brunette, dressed down in jeans and a white t-shirt Bethany gestured to the agents to come in. The detective said you would be coming by today take a seat. Can I get you a drink?"

"No thank you Bethany, we just need to ask you some questions about Janet." Rossi replied, he could tell underneath the calm exterior that the young woman was falling apart, taking note to be careful he cautiously continued. " so it was a week and a half ago she disappeared? Where did you last see her?".

"Umm. At thee theatre, yes, we had just finished the waltz of the snow flakes and we were supposed to be going home but Madame d'ijon made me stay saying she needed to speak to me privately. I ...I told her to stay but she didn't want to because earlier d'ijon yelled at her and said she was a disgrace to the cast. Janet normally can hold her own but that just seemed to destroy her. Sorry I know this probably is useless…". Tears were swelling in her eyes and her slumped shoulders looked heavy with emotion. "Anything you tell us, Bethany, is helping us to find out who did this to Janet." Hotch said speaking with a calm and collected tone. He could see the toll her friends passing was having on her although both he and Rossi knew that any information Bethany could yield would help massively to find this elusive unsub. " As you were leaving did anything seem out of place any signs of a struggle or anything just out of the ordinary?"

"I don't think so, backstage was a mess as usual and my bag was the only one left in the changing rooms although the fire escape was open. Yes, I remember because it was freezing when I came in but that's not unusual that's where they all smoke I was just surprised they left the door open as usually they close the door but I suppose anyone could have made that mistake. Right?" The agents nodded.

"Yes completely." Taking a steadying breath agent Rossi continued.

"Finally was there any on that was new on set, they would've been quiet most probably not a dancer someone submissive and he may have been watching the dancers. Bethany please thing about this really hard as he is not someone who would stand out or that you would necessarily notice." It was hard to describe an unsub they knew so little about but sometimes giving witnesses some generic details often yielded more than asking about a new person. "There are always new people walking around backstage help, makeup, dancers I don't know I don't pay attention because if you see them one day you probably won't see them again. So do you think someone working with us could've done this? No they wouldn't have killed Janet if they knew her. Janet, she was so wonderful, sometimes she was gruff but she always looked out for the younger dancers. Why would anyone want to do this? What am I going to do without her?" shaking sobs consumed the girl and Rossi put his arm round her. It seemed these dancers were all alone in a cut throat world. Bethany could hardly be older than 20 yet there were no signs any family in the flat and now with her best friend dead she was living alone in DC. "We will find him. Bethany I know how much she meant to you, we will keep you updated with the investigation but in the meantime please be safe, try to come home before dark and lock all your doors, at the moment you have nothing to be worried about but it is just for peace of mind." Rossi's tone conveyed the deep concern he felt for the young girl. Silently he prayed she would heed his warning as it always hit him the hardest when the victims were so young.

Agents Rossi and Hotch stood and bade their farewells as they exited the flat and got into the car. Rush hour traffic sentenced them to an extra thirty minutes stuck in the city wide jam. Occasional conversations struck the two however nothing of any meaning or importance came up and so when they arrived at the towing DC police department the two were hopeful their colleagues had found something more substantial. Three flights of stairs later they finally arrived in a large yet sparsely decorated room. " Prentiss, Morgan what did you…"

"Hotch we found three"

"Three what?" Hotch's voice peaked with hope for a breakthrough of any kind this case had to be closed and fast before any more girls like Bethany were put in dangers. " bodies Hotch, they found three more bodies.".


End file.
